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Unggoy (Earth-5875)
The unggoy (Latin Monachus frigus, meaning "cold monk"), known as Grunts to humans, are a sapient species of bipedal arthropods from the cold world of Balaho. They were part of the fragmented Covenant, occupying the lowest ranks, either for labor or as cannon fodder in the battlefield, where they were mistreated by other species such as the sangheili, jiralhanae and kig-Yar. Unggoy were used as disposable cannon fodder by the Covenant, which used their huge numbers and ability to overwhelm other forces to great efficiency during the First Contact War. Weaker and smaller than the other species of the Covenant, they performed most of the labor of the hegemony. After the end of the war, most of them stood at the side of the Swords of Sanghelios and sought peace with the sangheili and humanity in the volatile post-war period. History The Ark and reseeding .]] The unggoy evolved from small land-thriving arthropods on Balaho. The Librarian and her Lifeworkers visited Balaho during the Forerunner-Xenomorph War as a part of the Conservation Measure to save unggoy specimens by the Ecumene, and index them in the Ark so they could survive the activation of the Halo Array. After the rings were lighted and all life extinct, the unggoy, alongside all remaining living species in the galaxy, were returned to their homeworld via Keyships, where they started rebuilding their culture. Contact with the Covenant As they continued developing, the unggoy were able to achieve a Tier 4-based society. However, the planet became devastated after a biosphere collapse because of industrialization, leading the unggoy back to Tier 6. .]] The unggoy were discovered in 1112 by the Covenant on their homeworld. Even though most of the Covenant's species were indoctrinated on the Covenant because of faith or benefits, in the case of the kig-Yar, the unggoy, who surrendered immediately, were forcibly thrown into the hegemony under the lowest positions. Despite this, they became one of the most devout followers of the Path, with theologists such as Ang'nap the Enlightened, rising to popularity thanks to the popular notion that the forerunner's appearance before their ascension were much like that of their own. Ironically, the unggoy's induction into the Covenant ensured the survival of their species, which granted them an easy exit from Balaho's two harsh winters, also giving them free access to food supplies and non-hostile environments. Infant mortality decreased to below 50%, geronticide became unnecessary for their survival, and the average life expectancy doubled from 30 years to 90 years. occurring in ''High Charity''.]] As they were the lowest ranking Covenant species, the unggoy became bitter enemies of the kig-yar, who shared a similar spot in the hegemony's hierarchy. Despite the progression of the strife, the san'shyuum and the sangheili ignored it, as the growing population of unggoy on ''High Charity'' forced the local kig-yar to relocate their houses. This caused stress on female kig-yar, leading to infant mortality on the kig-yar population, all the while some unggoy were forced to live alongside kig-yar who inadvertently trampled in their nests. After a group of kig-yar poisoned the unggoy's methane supply, killing many in the process, the tensions sparked the Unggoy Rebellion in 1262. Even though the rebellion ended with the intervention of an Arbiter who partially glassed Balaho, the unggoy showcased their ferocity and numbers and their capability as soldiers, leading the sangheili to forgive the surviving unggoy and allowing them to be a part of the Covenant Armada. Despite the end of the rebellion, the unggoy would carry out numerous other uprisings and rebellions against the Covenant in an attempt of freeing themselves, such as the Sixteenth Unggoy Disobedience, which was quelled by Ripa 'Moramee in 2529. First Contact War .]] resent during the First Battle of Shanxi, the unggoy were one of the first Covenant species encountered by humanity. During the battle, the unggoy were led by their jiralhanae commanders to secure the planet's orbital station. Most of the unggoy present in the battle were killed. In 2535, the Prophet of Truth permitted Reth to lead an unggoy army of thousands on the moon pf Metisette, but the kig-yar's plans were ultimately scrapped after an all-out conflict between the Insurrectionists on the Rubble, the crew of the [[UNSC Midsummer Night (Earth-5875)|UNSC Midsummer Night]], and a secret team of sangheili Zealots who had been sent by the Prophet of Regret, who believed them to be heretics, sparkling the Battle of Metisette, leading to the death of all unggoy in the station. The large numbers of the unggoy and fast birth rate became an important asset for the Covenant against humanity during the First Contact War, with many unggoy soldiers being able to overwhelm and kill humans duo to their sheer numbers, although they themselves suffered heavy casualties. During the war, the unggoy obeyed their superiors out of fear rather than faith, and many questioned the war. During the Great Schism, most unggoy allied with the sangheili, although, in general, they stood with whoever commanded them out of fear. Many of the unggoy who stood at the side of the jiralhanae secretly supported the Swords of Sanghelios. Sensing the fall of the Covenant, the unggoy mostly allied with Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and the UNSC, knowing to be the strongest side, something which had been correctly guessed by the Minister of Discovery. Post-First Contact War being thrown into battle.]] After the end of the First Contact War, many unggoy continued to work as laborers and farmers for the sangheili on Sanghelios and other sangheili colonies, such as Rahnelo, and in turn, many continued to serve within the Swords of Sanghelios in respectable positions, being treated as equals to the sangheili and even commanding sangheili troops in battle, such as was the case of Stolt and Bibjam. Multiple unggoy continued to serve under jiralhanae and sangheili commanders that led the numerous splinter factions of the Covenant, where they continued to be treated as cannon fodder, most notably under the Enclave, the Banished. Surveys conducted by Office of Naval Intelligence probes recorded there were no-off planet transportation from Balaho ever since the end of the war, where many unggoy returned to their homeworld, indicating that the facilities on Buwan, one of Balaho's moons, had been abandoned. ONI has speculated that numerous independent ships under unggoy control have been battling one another over resources. Biology Unggoy mostly make up poor soldiers in both skill and ability on the battlefield. During firefights, they give poor shots when not focused, and compared to the other species of the galaxy, they are physically weaker and shorter. What unggoy soldiers lack alone, they make up when in huge numbers. The Covenant used their fast reproduction to birth soldiers for war during conflicts. They are the only former member species of the Covenant to breathe methane instead of oxygen, forcing them to wear portable methane tanks in their combat harnesses to not die of asphyxiation in environments that would be poisonous to them. Anatomy and physiology Unggoy height average 4' 5" (138 cm) to 5' 5" (170 cm), while their weight average 248 lbs (112 kgs) to 260 lbs (118 kgs), making them near to humans in general height and the shortest species of the Covenant. The unggoy were believed to be arthropods to the UNSC because of their exoskeleton, but they are in fact vertebrate. More accurately, the unggoy are classified xeno-arthropodal vertebrates by the Office of Naval Intelligence, which have substantial genetic influences from primate-like amphibians which lived on Balaho's aphotic zones millions of years in the past. Like primates, unggoy walk bipedally, with the aid of their oversized forearms, although they can easily walk quadrupedally. Their mouth have a set of small, pointed teeth. They are about four to five feet tall, being relatively weak compared to other sapient species. They have flat, three-toed feet, with another toe on their feet's back. The unggoy's large arms aid them during combat situations, or scaling heights. Unggoy have a thick, luminescent light-blue blood. They are forced to walk upright while holding weapons in order to support them with their hands. They use their oversized arms as forelegs in order to acquire speed or stability, They have average hearing and eyesight, though they compensate these drawbacks with a well-developed sense of smell, which they use in battle to detect traces of hidden enemies, which is facilitated through olfactory membranes that are featured on their breathers. Unggoy have over-sized forearms in comparison to their body, with their upper arms and thighs being relatively small. These traits allowed for the unggoy to be excellent climbers over Balaho's rocky terrain, but clumsy when walking upright. The large arms allow them to excel at physical combat and scaling great heights, but severely limits their movement through tight corridors and the manipulation of small objects. Their rigid exoskeleton with sharp barbs serves as a natural protection against Balaho's winters and predators. Their fingers have a fast reflex, firing Type-25 plasma pistols in the same rate a sangheili fires a Type-25 plasma rifle. Psychology and behavior Even though the other species of the Covenant regard the unggoy as dim-witted and little intelligent, many members of the species have proven from time to time to be incredibly intelligent, resourceful, and knowledgeable. The perception that the unggoy are inherently unintelligent comes from their poor education and military training within the Covenant society. One of the most sociable and adaptable species of the Covenant, the unggoy have a strong pack mentality, and so they associate with each other in groups with large numbers. This was what allowed their cultural identities to remain intact in the Covenant despite the systematic erasure of most of their story through their subservience and enslavement to the Covenant and the dark age they suffered after the activation of the Halo Array. Unggoy have developed sensory-motor integrations within a vast speed, which allows them to absorb large quantities of knowledge when compared to other sapient species, even humans. Because of their ability to fast adapt, the Covenant used them to monitor human communication and learn their languages to track down messages. As a result, a big amount of unggoy have been able to speak more than two human languages fluently. This advantage gives them confidence during stressful times. One unggoy, the Deacon Dadab, was able to learn huragok sign language on his own. Sex Unggoy are able to bear children prodigiously, with large egg clutches during short childhood periods. Adulthood if reached with 8 years, which led to the Covenant using this to their favor. They used unggoy as disposable cannon fodder, which played an important role during the First Contact War. Their rapid reproduction and sensory-motor integration soon became their primary advantages within the Covenant. However, their rapid spread was a a massive problem during peaceful times within the Covenant, leading to strict birth laws. Unggoy value their children and family ties, but they were separated from their families while young in order to serve the Covenant Armada. The unggoy deeply resented this, but were unable to say anything out of fear of being killed. Culture .]] Despite most of the unggoy cultures having been wiped out duo to their forceful indoctrination into the Covenant and its religion, they were able to keep some of their cultural identities hidden from sight. They live in small, tribal societies, led by matriarchs. Their family structure is polyamorous, with several males and females living and working together. Because of Balaho's harsh climate, unggoy were forced to produce their food to survive during winter. To stop any kind of collateral damage, the unggoy who died during the winter seasons were burned - problems that were solved with their discovery by the Covenant. Many unggoy agree that their species have three defining traits - ruggedness, agility, and lethality, with individuals such as Ang'nap the Enlightened being hailed as legendary heroes. Many unggoy share a mutual interest in human. During the First Contact War, unggoy soldiers were instructed into learning the human language, and while they did so they enjoyed trading human communications, such as sitcoms, movies, and soap operas, which they sold through their own covert black market. Unggoy enjoy playing and gambling with each other, such as hunting rock, which involves two individuals trying to skill scrub grubs. Unggoy are known to use addicting recreational narcotics known as infusions, which they embedded in their portable methane tanks before battle. Role within the Covenant Chieftain.]] The unggoy were believed to be unintelligent by the san'shyuum and other species of the Covenant, being forced to serve as laborers, or, during battles, as cannon fodder, duo to their large numbers. During ground battles, the unggoy were always deployed as the first wave of attackers, multiple times in high numbers, in order to overwhelm and easily kill the Covenant's enemies. Unggoy that served within warships were ordered by their commanders to monitor and interpret human communications, which led them to become proficient in English more than any other of the Covenant's species. The unggoy lived in the lower districts of ''High Charity'', an area filled with natural occurrences of methane, allowing the unggoy to live there without worrying about dying of asphyxia. on Reach.]] The unggoy occupied a low position in the Covenant's hierarchy caste, something made out of racial bias rather than their inherent abilities. Much like the other non-founding species, the unggoy were not represented in the Covenant High Council, but were vetted by the Ministry of Concert. With the exception of the huragok and yanme'e, the unggoy were mistreated by the other species of the Covenant as second-class citizens. The unggoy had a tense rivalry and feud with the kig-yar, who, despite being also low in the caste, had significant more freedom and independence in the Covenant. Despite their slave status, the unggoy maintained their cultural identities, having rebelled numerous times through the history of the Covenant. Before the outbreak of the Unggoy Rebellion, unggoy could not even use weapons in battle, but after proving themselves as tenacious and powerful in large numbers, they were given a space in the Covenant Armada as warriors, which led to open the minds of the Covenant to integrate all of its new species into military roles. The unggoy holds a strong hatred of the other species of the Covenant because of their mistreatment and fear, leading many of them to think that someone would help them break free. In battle, unggoy followed a series of simple rules that were given to them by their sangheili commanders, such as "When in doubt, shoot" or "Stay out of the way, live another day". Many unggoy were zealous adherents of the Path and the Great Journey, with their own Deacons giving boosting sermons to warriors before battle. Language Unggoy native languages are composed of a series of squeaks, barks, and grunting. Unintelligible to most humans, it can easily be translated through translation software. Unggoy are proficient in learning other languages, rapidly learning Digom and a series of human languages, something which they take great pride. Homeworld and colonies Balaho is the homeworld of the unggoy. Located in the Tala system, the planet is swampy and covered in ice, with naturally occurring pillars of fire. The planet has two moons: Buwan and Padpad, and is still recovering from the ecological collapse which plagued it after the activation of the Halo Array duo to over-industrialization. There are multiple massive unggoy populations in the former colonies of the Covenant, such as Sanghelios and Rahnelo, where they live together with sangheili. Category:Earth-5875 Category:Sapient species of Earth-5875 Category:Species of Earth-5875 Category:Host species (Earth-5875) Category:Species Category:Races Category:Created by Draft227 Category:Covenant species (Earth-5875)